Ebisu: A Japanese Restaurant Celebrating Traditional Culinary Culture

Creating a Distinctly Japanese Atmosphere Through Design

A Japanese restaurant which offers traditional Japanese dishes called "WASHOKU". WASHOKU is traditional Japanese culinary culture, registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. This place communicates the proud culinary culture of Japan to foreign tourists and the Japanese, while also acting as a place to pass this on to future generations.

The concept of the Ebisu project is to create a space that further emphasizes the world view of WASHOKU. Guests can enjoy Japanese dishes that use seasonal ingredients from the mountains, sea, and rivers of Japan, as well as handpicked local sake. The restaurant aims to immerse visitors in the world of WASHOKU through its Japanese garden, which is full of seasonal plants, flowers, and a waterfall, as well as an interior adorned with traditional Japanese materials.

A lot of Japanese traditional handmade materials are used for the interiors, such as plasterer, natural reeds, woven fabrics, square timber, tile, Japanese paper, and gravel. Each material is slightly different due to being handmade, stimulating curiosity and adding to the unique atmosphere of the restaurant.

Located in Osaka, Japan, the Ebisu project was realized from November 2018 to January 2019. The design team included Shunsuke Ohe for interior design, Natsuki Sudo for lighting design, Akiko Geirin for sign design, Masayuki Sakaguchi for garden design, and Seikoh Yada for flower art design.

The restaurant offers a quiet and serene atmosphere, far removed from the bustle of city life. The Japanese garden, with stones piled up on the wall reminiscent of a castle wall, seasonal plants and flowers, and a cascading waterfall, follows a traditional style. Japanese traditional materials are used throughout the interior, allowing guests to not only savor the WASHOKU cuisine but also gain a deeper understanding of Japanese traditional culture.

In a limited space, the Ebisu project was designed efficiently without waste. It consists of a Japanese garden, three spacious guest areas (including counter height seats, semi-private rooms, and private rooms), a bar corner, a back yard, and a staff room. The highlight of the space is the area where the counter height seats are located, overlooking a large window that seamlessly merges with the Japanese garden outside, creating an air of openness.

Ebisu has received recognition for its exceptional design, winning the Bronze A' Design Award in the Interior Space, Retail, and Exhibition Design category in 2021. This award is bestowed upon outstanding and creatively ingenious designs that authenticate experience and resourcefulness, incorporating best practices in art, science, design, and technology. Ebisu's design exhibits strong technical and creative skills, contributing to quality of life improvements and making the world a better place.

Photograph by Tetsuro Goto, courtesy of ISOLA Inc.

Intellectual property notice: Interior design by LUSTYdesign Inc.